vB Easy Archive - Is the Blackberry worth getting if you don't get data plan?

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Is the Blackberry worth getting if you don't get data plan?
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Posted by: thepro8

I broke my pda a week ago and I'm not to impressed with my v710. I really like having a PDA for my phone so I was thinking about getting the new BB for verizon. I'm not ready to shell out $40/month for unlimited data though. Is the blackberry worth getting if I'm not going to connect it to use data?

Posted by: NJBlackBerry

No.
The BlackBerry is a great e-mail device, with an adequate phone and PIM, and decent - maybe - web browser. There is no "Palm Desktop" equivalent to use for data entry, you use Outlook as your PIM and sync to it.

I think the BB would be a very expensive, mediocre phone without the data service.

Just my .02.

Posted by: Dunlop

It's like buying a car only for the sake of looking at it.

Do the right thing, get the data plan ...

Posted by: nikkimarz

i have a question...can the BB be used as only a PDA? ie, without activating the phone? I know this sounds crazy, but I really got used to my BB, but Verizon really messed up my charges $1,000 worth of a "glitch", so my husb returned it. now i want to buy another, but not activate...i assume it can still be used as a PDA?

Posted by: tyassine

Quote:

Originally posted by nikkimarz
i have a question...can the BB be used as only a PDA? ie, without activating the phone? I know this sounds crazy, but I really got used to my BB, but Verizon really messed up my charges $1,000 worth of a "glitch", so my husb returned it. now i want to buy another, but not activate...i assume it can still be used as a PDA?

yes it can be just used as a PDA

But a BB is a waste without a data plan...that's like buying a treo 650 and putting it on pre-paid. or buying a ferrari with no gas in it!

Posted by: briareus

I'd say the opposite of what others are saying. It may not be a best-of-breed PIM, but it works well and I do use the calendar, address book, tasks, and notes all the time.

It is certainly much more durable than any PalmOS device.

It might not come with Palm Desktop, but I've personally never liked Palm Desktop and prefer Outlook (2003) anyway.

You might find a better PPC or Symbian PIM, but no one here has said anything so far and I have no experience with them.

YMMV. Most providers give you a return period -- if they do, give it a shot.

Posted by: Jay101

As someone who's tried just about every blackberry out there, and worked many other devices that are part of the Blackberry connects program, I can honestly say, the blackberry is still handsdown my favorite device....but it all depends on your preference. I think it's definately most practical and useful device, but it does not have the coolness factors of some of the PPCs or Smartphones - it's a business device.

But getting it without a data plan though?

Well... that kind of defeats the purpose of the blackberry, but if you do like the calendar, address book, etc so much that you don't care about email or your calendar synchronizing with outlook - then why not?

It will have much better battery life, and be much more durable than most other devices out there... I must drop mine hourly and it's solid as a rock.

Posted by: Mark Rejhon

Sometimes used BlackBerries are available for cheap (i.e. $100) and sometimes they actually make rather fine PDAs. People who can`t afford a BlackBerry plan, can still benefit from the features on the BlackBerry that are better than other cellphones. A reasonably good PDA that doubles as a cellphone.

They may not be the best of breed, but after upgrading to BlackBerryOS 4.0, gaining categories and filters, better PIM search, and then installing something BBToday (a Today screen like PocketPC), the PDA features become much more improved. It actually becomes much better of a PDA than the older PalmPilots. Some people find it much faster to enter and lookup data on a BlackBerry than a PalmPilot (PalmOS), making BlackBerry more comfortable a PDA. Not always, but it`s true... It`s a matter of preference.

It`s also a much better PDA than the average cellphone, so if you find a BlackBerry for cheap, it`s not useless -- just crippled compared to a full BlackBerry plan, but still much better than the average cellphone PDA.

It depends on your preference, and if you manage to score a BlackBerry for cheap (sale from friend, or from eBay, etc) then it`s still a rather useful device.

Some of my BlackBerry FAQ sections are still relevant to non-email users of BlackBerry:
- Keyboard tricks
- Calendar tricks
- Thumbtouchtypist guide
- Information about SMS

Try to get a BlackBerry plan if you can, though! But a BlackBerry is not completely useless without email. It`s more like buying a car and being allowed to use it only two times a week -- not just looking at it.

Posted by: T2-T-mo

tmo BB plan is only 20 a month!